The weather conditions weren't ideal Thursday, but the 26 athletes competing in the Chico Multi-Event Classic—13 in the decathlon and 13 in the heptathlon—easily shrugged off the cold temperatures to kick off the 2023 track & field season in fine style at University Stadium.
All five Wildcats competing in the decathlon delivered outstanding performances. Jordan Ausbie finished Thursday in second place in the talented field, racking up 3,299 points over the five first day decathlon events. Zack Nelson is fifth with 3,054 points; Justin Craven's 2,863 points were good for eighth place overall, while freshmen Logan Jodie (2,615 points) and Brady Giles (2,311 points) placed 11th and 12th, respectively.
In the 13-athlete heptathlon, Chico State freshman Annie Belter finished Thursday's four events in ninth place with 1,877 points, with Talyn Steffens placing 10th with 1,665 points.
Ausbie registered an impressive Chico State debut, winning the decathlon's long jump competition with a distance of 6.91 meters. The transfer from De Anza College also finished second in the high jump (1.80 meters), fourth in both the 100-meter dash (11.46 seconds) and 400-meter dash (54.19 seconds), and eighth in the shot put (10.08 meters).
Nelson posted a personal best mark in Thursday's first decathlon event, placing fourth in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.26 seconds, and PR'd in the high jump (1.68 meters) on the way to a sixth place finish. Nelson placed third in the 400-meter dash (54.13 seconds) and seventh in both the long jump (6.05 meters) and shot put (10.09 meters).
Craven notched PR marks in the 100-meter dash (12.02 seconds, good for 11th place) and the shot put (10.20 meters, sixth place overall), while matching his personal best in the high jump (1.74 meters). He also finished eighth in the long jump (6.04 meters) and ninth in the 400-meter dash (56.35).
Jodie and Giles each turned in a solid effort in their first appearance as Chico State Wildcats. Jodie tied for third place in the high jump (1.77 meters), finished 11th in the shot put (9.43 meters), and 12th in the 100-meter dash (12.31 seconds), long jump (5.62 meters), and 400-meter dash (58.53 seconds).
Giles finished sixth in the 400-meter dash (55.37 seconds), ninth in the shot put (9.78 meters), tied for ninth in the 100-meter dash (11.73 seconds), and placed 10th in the long jump (5.83 meters).
Brett Lombardi, last season's Chico Multi-Event Classic winner while a member of the Fresno Pacific men's track & field team, is competing unattached this year and leads at the decathlon's midway point with 3,357 points.
In the heptathlon, Belter started first day action with a seventh place finish in the 100-meter hurdles, timing out at 18.09 seconds. The native of nearby Orland went on to earn a share of fifth place in the high jump (1.43 meters), placed eighth in the shot put (7.73 meters), and finished 12th in the 200-meter dash with a time of 30.15 seconds.
Steffens placed 11th in the 100-meter hurdles, stopping the clock at 18.94 seconds. After finishing 11th in the high jump (1.31 meters) and 12th in the shot put (6.87 meters), the junior delivered a 10th place effort in the 200-meter dash with a time of 29.43 seconds.
Brianna Green of Fresno Pacific ended Thursday as the leader midway through the Chico Multi-Event Classic heptathlon, with a total of 2,569 points.
The Chico Multi-Event Classic concludes Friday at University Stadium, with the final three events (long jump, javelin, and 800-meter run) in the heptathlon, and the last five events of the decathlon (110-meter hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin, and 1,500-meter run).
